


Army Of Me - {GTA IV}

by FreshPrinceOfLosSantos



Series: Beyond Liberty City Stories [2]
Category: Grand Theft Auto IV
Genre: Other, garnd theft auto 4, grand theft auto four, gta iv
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-26
Updated: 2017-05-09
Packaged: 2018-10-24 10:45:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10740123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreshPrinceOfLosSantos/pseuds/FreshPrinceOfLosSantos
Summary: {Second book in the 'Beyond Liberty City Stories' Series}{Sequal to 'War of One'}Niko's tough upbringing, one full of trauma and loss has left him in the shell of the sweet young man he used to be. Niko decides the only way he can feel anything is to become a teenage soldier and fight in the Yugoslavia Wars. Along the way, he reconnects with old friends who are now also soldiers, fights against a common enemy and experiences a betrayed that will leave him shocked from decades.- be sure to read War Of One before starting this book, thanks -





	1. Stand Up, You've Got To Manage

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Julio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Julio/gifts).



A/N This is dedicated to Julio who showed a lot of appreciation for this series and inspired me to keep writing it, thanks dude, you made my day!

It was the summer of his seventeenth year, his training was almost complete. A lot had happened since we'd last left off. Roman was eighteen now and he had left town to get a job, to save up whatever he could so he could move to America, he wanted to take Niko with him but he wouldn't budge. Roman didn't want to leave his cousin here in a war-torn country while he was living the American dream, but what could he do.

Roman was waiting tables in the city, he'd moved his Aunt out of the village, given that it was almost entirely unpopulated now since the bombs had dropped killing almost everyone, including Roman's parents, and now that his only cousin was going to war, his aunt was all he had left.

Roman rented a flat very cheap in the worst part of town but it would so until he could afford to get her something better. And Niko could have some money from serving in the army, he could help too - if he lived.

Niko's remaining family worried for him greatly, he was very young. He'd joined the army last year and since then, he'd been conditioned to work hard and push his body to the absolute limit. All day, he trained. He learnt many things in his training, how to use a gun, melee combat, how to suffer through intense pain and unfortunate circumstance. And now it was almost time to leave.

Niko spent one last night with his mother and his cousin. they sat around the table in the apartment which was even shittier than the shack they lived in their village. It was a very sombre night, they ate a very sombre meal of TV dinners around a small fire. The apartment didn't even have a television, at least not one that worked.

Roman looked up from his meal at his younger cousin, he was clean shaven and his hair was cut short, he had his uniform laid out on his bed and ready to go at the crack of dawn morning. He met his cousin stare and returned it. Niko noticed that Roman was looking pretty flat, down even. Niko forced a smile, Roman forced one back.

Once they had finished eating, Niko's mother collected their plates and took them over to the sink to clean them. They sat in silence listening to the water running from the tap at the sink and the sound of Niko's mother scrubbing plates. Roman broke the silence.

"Niko, do you want to go for a walk with me?" he asked. Niko nodded. they got up from the table and grabbed their coats and walked outside. Before anyone even needed to say a word, the two of them knew where they were going, to this pub on the outskirts of town they had been going several times a week for the last six months. That was where they were headed.

"Cousin, I'm going to miss you. So much." Roman said softly." Niko nodded, he was taller than his cousin now, by several inches. "You know, Niko. I don't have much family left. I lost my mother and father, my cousin and my uncle and this as all in the last two years. I know you've lost a lot too, but the thing is. I'm afraid of losing you too."

Niko looked over at his cousin. "I know, Roman." He said under his breath. "But if I don't go, and something happens to you or my mother, I'll forever live in guilt that I never tried to stop this war."

"I understand what you mean," Roman said. "But it'll be hard for us."

"I know," Niko said putting his arm around his cousin as they walked. "You'll be okay, I'll be okay." He assured him.

"I hope your right, cousin," Roman whispered.

As they approached the location of the pub, they realised something peculiar. The pub wasn't where it once was, in fact, it had been burnt to the ground and all that remained was a pile of ash and rubble. The two young men looked at the pile of debris in shock. Roman stepped forward and headed towards where the pub once stood.

"Oh, shit," Niko said as he scanned the area with his eyes. He joined his cousin as he inspected the rubble. "How did this happen?"

"Could have been anything," Roman replied. "Probably those fucking Croatians, dropping bombs in the night. Or perhaps terrorists." Niko nodded, the pub he had spent many nights drinking in since he had moved to the city was now nothing but dust. He did spot something amongst the rubble, hidden under planks of wood and what was left of the tin roof. He dug through the debris until he found what he was looking for.

Niko pulled out a large bottle of Vodka from the abandoned pile. Roman chuckled as Niko examined the bottle in amazement. "Well, looks like it's our lucky day." Roman laughed, Niko just rolled his eyes and sat on top of the large pile of garbage. Roman climbed up the pile and sat next to his cousin.

Niko screwed off the lid to the bottle and opened it up. He took a swig before passing it to his cousin. "Here's to fuck all." Niko moaned as he felt the liquor burning on his tongue. Roman laughed and took a swig of the vodka as well.

"This is it isn't it, tomorrow you leave for where ever you'll be posted and we may never see you again. If not for several months or years." Roman sobbed drunkenly after a few more swigs of vodka.

"Roman, that must be the most pessimistic thing to come out of your fucking mouth. I'll be fine. I promise. I've been training for over a year now." Roman held on to his cousin's shoulder.

"I trust you, cousin," Roman said as he struggled to get to his feet. He threw the now empty bottle of vodka on the ground and let it sit amongst the rest of the rubble. The two of them climbed back down the mountain of trash and into the street.

They walked home in silence when the approaches the door to their apartment the cousins turned to each other. Roman hugged Niko and held him tightly for several seconds, Niko returned the hug cautiously. He hadn't drunk as much as Roman had but he was definitely drunk, just not as drunk as his cousin.

"I need to go to sleep," Roman said softly, his face buried in Niko's chest. "I know you have other things to do before you leave tomorrow. I'll try to say goodbye but I might be hung-over." Niko laughed. "So in case, this is it. Goodbye Niko. Write to me."

"Of course." Niko replied as he peeled his cousin off of him, he helped hold him up by holding onto his shoulders so Roman wouldn't collapse. "Now go to bed cousin, you are drunk." Roman laughed and nodded. He opened the door to the apartment and waved goodbye to his cousin before heading upstairs to bed. Niko closed the door to the apartment. He sighed heavily before heading out of the apartment building once again.


	2. I Won't Sympathise Anymore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niko says his final goodbyes before heading off to war

Niko woke up extremely early the following morning, around 4:30 am. The alarm clock went off in his ear. once he was conscious enough to move he turned it off and rubbed his eyes. For the first time the reality of what he was about to do hit him like a freight train. He was bearly seventeen years old and he was about to put his life on the line. He let the thought pass from his mind. He got out of bed and showered before putting on his uniform. He'd tried it one once before to make sure it had fit but he never got a good look at it. It was tighter than it was when he tried it on last year. He had gained a significantly large amount of muscle mass since he had started training late last year. The uniform did still fit, however.

Niko had been reluctant to show his mother or Roman the uniform in case it made them upset, in case it made them come to the same frightening realisation that Niko had come to that morning as he was getting ready to leave. The truck would arrive in town at 5:00 am. His mother wouldn't be up by then and Roman certainly wouldn't be up so he decided to leave them both a letter.

Niko went downstairs and into the kitchen. He got some paper out of a drawer in the living room before taking a seat at the dining table where he then composed his letters.

Dear Mother:  
I had to leave very early this morning for the truck to take us to the air base reaches our village very early. I wanted to say goodbye but I also didn't want to wake you. I know the last two years have been hard for you, it's been hard for our whole family since Fillip died and dad soon followed. It's been hard on Roman too. The two of you are so strong, I can see that. You have experienced more loss than one human should have to in their lifetime. I apologise for leaving you mother, but Roman will take care of you. He loves you dearly.  
I will send money back to you while I'm away. I won't need much of it where I am going. Take care of yourself, promise me you'll buy yourself something nice. And put some away for Roman too. Make sure he makes it to America. Thank you for everything mother.  
Love, Niko.

Niko felt himself get choked up as he wrote. He let the feelings of dread and despair pass before he continued writing his second letter.

Dear Roman:  
I knew you couldn't wake up to see me leave, given how drunk you got last night. I hope your head doesn't hurt too much, cousin. I am leaving today as you know and I wanted to say goodbye. I will write to you often, whenever I can. I'll tell you as much as possible. Take care of my mother, she needs you. Continue working hard and saving money so you can travel like you wish to. I will wait to hear from you when you write to me telling me your dreams have come true. Until then, stay safe, cousin.  
Niko.

Niko folded the letters and left them by the bedroom doors of his mother and cousin. He went back downstairs and looked around one last time before exiting the apartment block one last time. He waited by the corner for the bus to take him to into the city where he would then ride a truck from Town Hall to the Military Base in the south.

When the bus pulled up, Niko was the only person riding. The bus driver smiled at him and told him what he was doing was brave and that he wished him well. Niko just nodded and smiled slightly before muttering a 'thank you' before taking a seat. As the bus drove he stared out the window and watched the world fly by. He already missed his family. He missed his brother and all his friends who were bombed only two years ago. He even missed his father a little, despite the fact that he'd never been nice to Niko or his brother. He still thought about him often.

The bus stopped in front of town hall. Niko thanked the driver for taking him all this way and jumped off. The doors to the bus closed behind Niko before driving off. The sun was only just rising as Niko slung a backpack over his shoulder and walked into a town hall. Inside there were a lot of other young men, some were his age, some a little older. Niko even recognised some faces from when he attended school. There was a total of fourteen other men in the room, all sitting quietly or talking softly amongst each other. None of these boys Niko had ever met before.

Only a few heads turned when the squeaking fo the doors notified the room someone else had arrived. Niko tried to ignore the glances. He walked up to the chief who was talking to a cadet behind a desk at the front of the hall. When Niko approached the chief turned his head to face him, blowing is cigar smoke out of the side of his mouth he sat back down at his desk and looked up at Niko.

"Well, who do we have here?" The Cheif asked as he clicked his pen. Niko swallowed hard.

"Niko Bellic, sir." he said.

"God you look young," The Chief observed as he crossed Niko's name off the role sheet. "What made you want to join the army?"

"I lost several loved ones recently, sir. I want to make a difference in this time of struggle. I don't want anyone else to have to go through what I've been through."

The chief smiled at Niko. "You'll do this country proud, son."

"I'm glad, sir."

The chief told Niko to join everyone else. He was the last one to arrive for he lived much further away from the city centre than the rest of the group. The truck was scheduled to arrive in ten minutes. "Don't get comfy yet," The chief said. "We have a very long day ahead of us."

Niko took a seat with the rest of the group. Nobody said anything while they were waiting for the truck to come. Everyone was tired, anxious and afraid. They didn't know what was to become of them. All they could do was wait.


	3. And If You Complain Once More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet some other familiar faces

Their first matter of business was to board the truck which had pulled up outside of town hall. The commander and chief yelled to get the attention of the group. Everyone jumped to their feet. They were ordered to stand in at attention in a line that leads out the door. The thirteen other young men, all either seventeen or eighteen years old stood beside him, looking straight ahead unflinching. Except for one, the man who stood on Niko's left was literally shaking. He attempted to wipe the sweat from his brow without drawing attention to himself. But the chief caught him.

"Florian!" He snapped. The man froze in position. "Control yourself." He said frowning.

"Yes, sir." The man said trying to catch his breath. His nervous shaking had excused him already. The chief walked along the line looking at each young man.

"Alright," he yelled finally. "The bus is here, you are going to board it swiftly, but without rushing. Do not cause a scene, be professional. Remain quite as you are boarding and listen for your name for it will be called eventually once everyone is seated, we need to make sure everyone is here."

The chief walked to the doors leading to the town hall entrance and opened them. Outside stood a huge army truck. Designed to carry many men. The chief walked towards the truck and spoke to the driver in a slightly different language. The driver nodded and the chief nodded back before spinning on his heels to face the hall. He whistled loudly. Niko flinched slightly. "All aboard!" The chief yelled before he climbed into the truck. The young men looked at each other, they were all afraid, and some were hiding it better than others. Especially the man to Niko's right who stepped out of line and smirked at the rest of them.

"Come on, what are we waiting for?" He said devilishly. He was the first out of the building and onto the truck. The rest of the soon followed. Niko along with the rest of the servicemen climbed into the truck. It was tight and everyone had to squeeze in to fit. Niko took and empty seat towards the back of the truck. He sat his things down under the chair and breathed deeply. This was it, they were off in any second now. 

The kid who had been the first to run out of the hall and climb aboard the truck sat in the row opposite of Niko. He was slightly older than he was. He had many scars on his face and he hadn't even served a day yet. His hair and eyes were a very dark brown and he was incredibly thin. Not the malnourished kind of thin that Niko was, where he had lived a childhood without enough food or enough nutrition but more of a sickly thin. The man looked over at Niko and caught his glance. He smiled showing decoloured teeth. Niko acknowledged him but didn't smile.

As the last of the soldiers sat down and got settled. The chief stood up from his place towards the front of the bus. He called for silence amongst the passengers. Once the cabin was dead quiet. He started to read off the names of the man.

The chief cleared his throat. "Dimitar Babic?" He called. Niko was thrilled to not be first. A young man towards the front replied.

"Yes, sir." In a voice that was firm and clear.

 

"Niko Bellic?" The chief called.

Nilko swallowed hard. "Yes, sir."

"Darko Brevic?" 

The thin man with the scars who sat across from Niko replied. "Yes, Sir."

"Florian Cravic?"

The man who had been shaking as he stood beside Niko in the hall replied nervously "Yes, sir."

The chief continued to read off all the names, the names of all fourteen

"Dragan Crenivic?"

"Yes, sir."

"Dusan Gujic?"

"Yes, sir."

"Goran Ilic?"

"Yes, sir," Goran replied. He sounded angry. Niko heard Darko curse him under his breath.

"Mijo Jakovic?"

"Yes, sir."

"Bojan Jovanic?"

"Yes, sir."

"Luka Kovac?"

"Yes, sir."

"Danilo Milic?"

"Yes, sir."

"Milan Novic?"

"Yes, sir."

"Milos Novak"

"Yes, sir." Milos said suspiciously turning to Milan who sat next to him. Surprised that they had such similar names.

"Nadeem Petrovic?"

"Yes, sir."

"Petar Vlahovic?"

"Yes, sir," Petar said, he was the very last one. the chief closed the book he was holding and smiled.

"Fantastic, everyone is here. We can move out." The driver started the engine and before they knew it, they were off down the highway. "Now, gentlemen," The chief stated before he sat down again. 

"Take a look around." Everyone did. "These men are your companions, they are your friends. This is not a competition, this is war. You don't need to fight amongst yourselves, you need to fight against the enemy, the man who have been dropping bombs on your homes. Those men are the ones you must save you anger for." Goran rolled his eyes, this was definitely targeted towards him and Darko. It had been pretty obvious that they had history.

"But that being said," The chief continued. "Don't get too close. Because you never know what could happen to you all. I hope to God you all make it home safe. but the likelihood of that happening is close to none. At least a few of you will be caught on the wrong side of rock bottom. Your job is to make sure it isn't you that ends up dead, but who's to say it might not be anyone else standing here." Everyone's hearts dropped slightly. 

"Keep mindful of what is to come. Don't get caught up in anything unimportant, stay focused and stay safe. we'll talk more when we arrive." The chief sat down in his seat. Darko started clapping and eventually, everyone else did too. Niko didn't clap, Niko couldn't find the nerve to make a scene. He kept quiet and looked out the window.

The slight chatter of people talking amongst themselves filled the cabin. Niko watched everyone else as they talked. He spotted Goran again. Goran had been in a few of his classes in school, so had the two other men that sat with him Danilo and Nadeem. They seemed to be getting on alright. Millan and Milos were hitting it off, they looked liked they known each other for years and Darko was throwing things at Florian and making fun of his hair. This was an eventful ride.

"Hey, kid." Niko heard someone say. He sat up. "Yeah, with the brown hair and the sharp fucking jawline. Turn around." Niko turned around. There were two other young men around his age smiling and laughing amongst themselves. 

"There he is." One of them laughed. "Nice to meet you, stranger." The two men were both young and innocent and full of life, they reminded Niko of Roman and Fillip. He tried to shake the idea from his head.

"Hey," was all Niko could manage. He was thinking so much, he was feeling so much.

"What's your name, kid?" The other man asked him.

"Niko Bellic." He said

"Is that with a K?"

"With a C, It's Bosnian."

"You're Bosnian?"

"My father's family is."

"That's really fucking interesting." The man laughed. "Wow." He held out his hand. "I'm Dargan and this is Dusan." He said pointing to the boy sitting next to him who in turn also held out his hand for Niko to shake it. He shook both their hands.

"We are your friends now." Dusan smiled.

"Have you been doing drugs?" Niko asked innocently. Both men laughed. Dusan said yes at the same time Dargan said no. The three of them laughed and for a moment the stress or their situation was relieved.


	4. You'll Meet An Army Of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleepless nights lead to learning about other characters

Dear Roman,  
I'm sorry it took me so long to write to you, the last few days have been non-stop travelling. From the truck ride to the docks by the coast and the sail over to Croatia. Plus we worked through the night to set up base camp, I'm finally in my tent on the North Coast. We travelled through Bosnia before we got to the Ocean. There were some terrible things we saw there, cousin. Bepeople were sick and there were bodies in the streets and there was nothing we could do but keep moving forward.   
The sailing was fine, I got to see the beach for the first time, it was just as grand as it is in the stories. I saw the coast of Italy too, our camp is in fact only an ocean away from Venice. Are more accurate description of my whereabouts would be that we are currently travelling up and down the border of Croatia and Slovenia. When I look at the maps I realise how far I've travelled already. I miss you, and mother greatly. Everyone is missing home now.  
The people I'm fighting with are all from our village, I remember some of them from school. I've made friends here, which could be a good or bad thing. It really depends on how you look at it.  
Nothing much has happened besides that, I need to go now, cousin. Write back soon.  
\- Niko

Niko folded the paper and tucked it away with the rest of his things. He would mail it tomorrow. He got up and exited the tent. Goran and Nadeem were sitting by the fire just west of their campground. The sun had gone down many hours ago and most of the other men were asleep by this point, they were mostly exhausted from all the travelling. But Niko couldn't sleep, he hadn't really slept for years. Not since Fillip died. He walked over to the fire, just to investigate. As he approached Goran looked up from his conversation and smiled at Niko.

"Good evening." Goran smiled

Niko laughed slightly. "Hey."

"Please," Nadeem said. "Sit, this discussion could use another point of view." Niko sat next to Goran by the fire. He was nervous, he hadn't interacted with anyone outside of his immediate family for a long time. He'd been house bound for so long.

"Why are you both sitting all the way out here?" He asked.

Goran rolled his eyes. "So I don't get trampled by that crazy fucker." He said pointing to one of the huts at the quad. Niko looked where he was pointing, he couldn't see much because it was dark but he did hear a low scream and the sound of pots hitting the ground in a heap.

"Who's out there?" Niko asked squinting.

Nadeem sighed. "Fucking Darko. Man's a heroine addict, guess nobody told him there was no junk out in the desert." Another bang.

"The quicker we can that lunatic sent home the better, the last place he needs to be is around bombs and guns and shit," Goran added crossing his arms. "Niko, don't you go anywhere alone for as long as he's on our team, you understand me?"

Niko frowned, "What's the deal with you two anyway?" He said ignoring Goran.

Goran looked at Niko harshly. "We were friends once when we were younger. But then he got into junk. We were very poor my family, I had to steal bread so my brothers and I could eat. Darko knew this, we were a team see. He'd keep watch, I'd swipe two loaves, one for each of us. But then he got addicted. He started not showing up and eventually, someone offered him a deal he couldn't refuse."

Niko nodded. "Which was?"

"The man who ran the bakery cooked more than just bread, he worked with opium and he could make a real mess with it too. He told Darko that if he could tell him who was taking his bread, he'd give him all the heroine he could carry. And he took it. He sold me out."

Goran was getting choked up thinking about it. Nadeem put his arm around his friend. "I spent thirty days in prison for what I did. I was only twelve, Niko and I was pushed into a room that held eight times and many people as it was built too. They sometimes forgot to feed us. We didn't shower, there was nobody there to make sure nobody got hurt." Goran wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I got hurt, Niko."

"I'm sorry to hear this."

Goran sat up again. "You can't trust anyone, Niko. Especially not Darko."

Niko didn't want to make a judgement on someone so quickly. He understood the pain Goran had been through and sympathised with him but in this world, Niko couldn't risk judging someone he didn't know. He decided to listen to Goran though. "I will be weary of him," Niko replied. Which was true, except Niko was wary of everyone, he didn't trust anyone. Not yet.

Goran stood up and put both hands on Niko's shoulders. "And Niko, I swear if that fucker does anything to harm you, or you Nadeem. He will meet an army of me." Goran sat back down again. Nadeem pulled out a thermos from his backpack.

"Anyone for soup?" He asked. Goran laughed.

"Yes, that would really take my mind off things." Nadeem poured Goran a cup. "Soup for you, Niko?"

Niko shook his head. "Thank you, but I just ate." Goran shrugged and sipped the soup. "You know, I wasn't sure about fighting when we were on the boat but now that we have landed. I'm feeling pretty confident." Goran added.

"I agree," Nadeem added. "Fuck, all the travelling was a nightmare."

"Uh, that reminds me," Goran said putting his cup down. "I'm exhausted, I should probably sleep now." Goran and Nadeem stood up and started walking over towards the quad. Darko's banging had stopped now.

"You coming too Niko?" Nadeem asked. Niko shook his head once more.

"I can't sleep." Niko said, "Especially not a night." Nadeem and Goran turned to each other. Goran shrugged.

"Well, on that note, I guess we will see you later Niko." Goran waved goodbye to Niko and Niko waved back. The two of them disappeared past the trees.

Niko sat alone by the burning fire for a while, but when he grew bored he decided to get up and keep moving. We walked back into the quad, to see Darko lying passed out outside the mess hall. Niko stepped over his snoring body and continued towards the south.


	5. You're Alright, There Is Nothing Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first mission.

Dear Niko,  
It's so good to hear from you cousin! I've missed you greatly, we all have. I'm glad to hear you've been able to reconnect with some of the boys we went to school with, as well as see the world at the same time. I'm jealous, cousin. At the same time, I hope you are taking good care of yourself, don't push yourself too far. I am working hard, saving to go to America as you know, I'm almost there now. Your mother hasn't taken you leaving too well, I've been looking after her the best I can while still working to pay rent and what not. I'm keeping my head up though because I know it could be worse. It could be me on the front line. Sometimes I think it should have been me, I haven't as much to lose as you do. But you made a decision cousin, a brave decision and I applaud you. We will be fine, write soon okay?  
Miss you, cousin.  
\- Roman

The last few nights Niko had slept maybe four hours in total. His insomnia was bad, the nightmares were bad and the sleep paralysis was bad. His head ached that morning as he sat in the back in the back of the truck as it made it's away across the terrain. Every time the truck bumped his head throbbed. He clutched the letter in his hands and closed his eyes, trying to think of something other than the pain.

"This is bullshit." A raspy voice said from the other side of the truck. Niko opened his eyes. Everyone was dressed the same, in the camouflage army uniforms. with guns strapped to their backs. Niko looked towards where the voice was coming from. "You really think the Croatian's won't see us just driving down the hill in this huge fucking truck. They'll bomb us out of orbit!"

It was Darko speaking. he was still on edge from going through withdrawal after not using heroine all week. He had a crazed look in his eye. "Shut the fuck up, Darko it's way too early for your shit." Florian moaned, Goran chuckled.

"Goran, I swear to God if you make another sound I'll break every limb in your skinny, pale body. Do you understand me." Goran looked away and said nothing. "And as for you, Florian. You're a cock sucker." Darko smiled.

"I am not! That's slander Darko, you know better." Florian hissed.

The argument went back and forth for a while. Niko looked away, he didn't want to engage. But that didn't stop him from getting dragged back in. "Bellic! What do you think?" Darko said. Niko turned around, still rubbing his head.

"About what?" He said softly.

"Do you think Florian sucks cock for fun?" Niko scowled.

"Darko, you are the only one here who has mentioned anything about cock thus far. Which has got everyone wondering whether or not you may be a little too excited over them yourself?" Laughter erupted from the cabin. Darko got mad, Niko didn't look at him so he turned his rage back to Florian.

"You're lucky you've got that Bosnian mother fucker to cover your ass." He snarled. Before storming out of the cabin and into the bathroom. Goran perked up.

"Well, if anyone is looking for Darko, he'll be in the bathroom where he will be giving out blowjobs for heroine." Laughter erupted once more, from everyone except Niko who was tired and in pain. And Florian who was too embarrassed to take his eyes off the floor.

~

The truck stopped outside the battleground, everyone hurried quietly out of the truck and into the trenches. As not to let the enemy know they were approaching. Once everyone was in and safe, the chief signalled for the truck, which had been disguised as a civilian truck before they had begun their journey to move out without causing suspicion. It did and everyone was safe.

Prior to arriving, they had discussed what it was they were meant to do. They were to attack the enemy base camp at night when everyone was unarmed and sleepy. If their cover was blown before then well they'd have to charge full throttle, guns blazing. But as of right now, the Croation soldiers didn't suspect a thing. Everyone was now just sitting in the dirt, waiting for night to fall, trying to be as quite as possible. 

Niko laid back against the wall of the trench, resting his head. Someone snuck up to where he was sitting and plonked themselves down next to him very quietly. The man was holding a notepad and a pencil. Niko looked over to see who it was. It was Florian. he began to write in his notepad. When he had finished he handed the notepad and pencil over to Niko, who squinted to see what it said in the light of the setting sun.

Thank you for what you did for me. 

Niko looked at it for a moment. He began writing back.

I turned a raging junkie against you. Don't you remember?

Florian smiled, he wrote.

You defended my honour.

Well, your welcome. I guess.

Niko rolled on his side, his back facing Florian once he'd finished writing. The last thing he heard was Florian begin to shuffle away. As the sun went down on the Croation coast, Niko decided to write his letter back to Roman.

Roman,  
Thank you for your letter cousin, I'm glad to hear you are working hard and are taking care of my mother. Tell her I love her won't you. Tell her I don't write to her only because it is too hard for me. I need to stay as focused as I can. I haven't been sleeping well and I've been having bad headaches. I am really having my situation have a toll on my health. I am writing this to you from a trench along the coast of Croatia, just meters away from an enemy base camp. We need to keep quiet so we are not detected. When the fall asleep we attack. I'm nervous, cousin. I don't want to worry you but I want, to be honest. I'll be fine, I'm resting so I can give this mission everything I have, for you, for our country.   
Looking forward to hearing from you soon,  
\- Niko

He tucked the letter away, somewhere he wouldn't loose it. Niko rested his head again, he watched as the sun went down, waiting for the signal which would dictate when they were to attack. As the Croation sun went down behind the horizon, the sound of the soldiers eating dinner in their mess hall was heard. the chatter and the laughter of the man as they ate.

The hours went on, the lights went out and everyone started going into their tents. Niko looked at the clock which was attached to his belt as he knelt by his gun and his friends in the dirt. It was 10:00 pm, two more hours and they had to charge. He heard a bang from behind him. Everyone turned around quickly, Florian had dropped a large crate of grenades. The changed together as they rolled down into a ditch. Niko's face drained of colour, along with everyone else.

The Croation soldiers went quiet. Someone yelled something in a slightly different language. "The Serbs are here! They are hiding on the beach!"

"Good one Florian!" Dargan hissed between gritted teeth, Florian coward.

"Look's like we are attacking now," The chief announced. "Come on boys, make your country proud!"

Everyone climbed out of the trench, ducking and dodging incoming bullets. Niko set his feet on the sand. The noise was awful, guns and bombs going off in every direction. He ran for his life towards a large palm tree which he ducked behind. He tried to catch his breath, he'd never ran so fast in his life, not when he was running away from incoming planes as a child, not ever. He took a deep breath. He looked down the barrel of his gun and he fired.


	6. Self-Sufficiency, Please!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The backstory behind one of the war crimes Niko witnesses

Dear Niko  
I hope this gets to you cousin. I hope you are okay. I only just got your letter about your first time on the front line. Are you okay? Did you get hurt? Fuck, are you even still alive? I need to hear from you cousin, I'm worried. I hope you don't work too hard. Please rest when you need to, and don't overwork that head of yours too much. You're going to need that when you come home. Your mother is going well, she baked sugar cookies last night. The euro is rising, I don't know what you guys are doing over there but whatever it is, it is working because the quality of life is improving here. It's going to be all cleaned up by the time you get back, I hope. I don't know if we'll ever recover as a nation but regardless, the work you are doing is helping us and the Serbian people are grateful. Thank you, cousin.  
\- Roman

The early morning sun shuns over the base camp. Their last mission had been successful, there were no survivors. Niko couldn't get the images of the people he'd shot out of his head, and Romans letter was just a reminder. The chief had ordered Niko to see him early this morning, for there was something he wanted to show him. When the chief emerged from his tent, Niko put his letter from Roman in his pocket.

The ambush did leave one person out of action for the week, for they had been injured in combat. But it was nothing a few stitches and some rest wouldn't heal. Niko was just glad it hadn't been him who was shot in the leg. The chief approached him.

"Ah, there you are Mr Bellic." He said cheerfully.

"Right where you wanted me, sir," Niko smirked. The chief laughed.

"I knew you were the right man for this job, follow me will you?" The chief lead Niko past the trees and further into the scrub. They hiked up the hill as the sun came through the clouds. "Now, tell me, kid. Can you drive?"

Niko shook his head. "Never learnt, I have been pretty busy the last ten years."

"Haven't we all," The chief said sadly. "But never you mind. These things are easy to handle, you'll do fine." On the top of this hill stood a tank. Niko had seen a few of them going down the Main Street of his town several years ago, and each time it had been a confronting experience. Niko moved closer to it, cautiously.

"I want you to drive this into battle when we head to the villages in the east tomorrow morning. There have been invasions on Bosnian villages by enemy soldiers. It's all propaganda, they should be leaving the common people out of this."

Niko thought back to the soldiers who had invaded his village a year and a half ago. They had burnt down Roman's house, raped his Aunt and left his uncle to die as the house collapsed around him. And it was all for what, a statement? Niko was hesitant to know what he'd see in the villages of a place as poor as Bosnia.

"I'll help out wherever possible." He said to the chief. He smiled.

"Good man, now jump in and I'll show you how to work this thing."

~

Roman  
I'm fine cousin, I'm fine. Our attack on Croatian soldiers was successful, I haven't a scratch on me. Milos, this other man who is fighting with us got shot in the leg, but he's on the road to recovery. The death toll is still zero. I do worry how long it will stay that way though. I'm afraid to admit I have become very close to everyone here. We see each other twenty-four hours a day and we have suffered through some shit together man. Today, we are heading to Bosnia, to see this village that was attacked by terrorists a few days ago. We are trying to locate the base of the people who keep doing this, cousin. I'm willing to bring them to justice, if not for the people in Bosnia, but for you, cousin and the things these people have put you and your family through. I hope you can sleep well knowing this will all be over soon.  
Keep up the good work  
\- Niko

The group marched through the streets of Northern Bosnia. The townspeople had gathered outside their homes to watch this parade. The fourteen other men marched in front of Niko, who was in the tank driving it through streets that were far too narrow. The chief sat beside him as they drove, keeping an eye on his men from above while also assisting Niko with the tank. "Pull, up here." He told Niko, pointing to the roadside. "I need to speak with everyone."

Niko parked the tank and the rest of the men stopped in their place. The cheif jumped out of the tank so he could adress his men from the ground. "We need to keep heading east. I've received information regarding the whereabouts of these Solivan terrorists. They invaded a school house yesterday afternoon. They shouldn't be hiding too far away, we must continue east."

The men nodded, they continued their journey. The cheif climbed back into the truck and ordered Niko to continue east, following the group. "What happened?" Niko asked after a while.

"With what?" The chief replied.

"The school, yesterday afternoon. The terrorists, what happened?"

The chief sighed. "More innocent people were harmed, Niko. Propaganda, as per usual."

Niko nodded, it seemed that he would have to wait until he got there if he was going to get any further information. They were out of the business district and into the countryside. The group could see the school house sat on top of a hill in the near distance. They made their way up. Niko was going to have to leave the tank at the bottom. For the hill was steep and he wasn't too good at driving it yet.

When the other fourteen had reached the top of the hill Niko heard the discusted groans of the soldiers followed by Florian running back down the hill to vomit. Niko continued walking up the hill, slightly more reluctantly now. "Um, chief you're going to want to see this," Luka said softly from on top of the hill. The chief jogged up to see what was going on.

"Holy shit," He said under his breath. Niko soon reached the hill top also. The soldiers started piling back down the hill, realising that they had seen enough.

As the crowd cleared, Niko could see the church by the school house. Along with the ten dead children who were leaning up against it, all with their throats slit and their hands cut off. Niko looked away as fast as he could, but it was too late. He had already seen it. And the images of Fillip and his disembodies limbs scattered across the countryside came back to him.

"Are you okay, Niko?" The chief asked.

Niko sighed heavily. "I'm fine, I just wasn't expecting that." He said. The chief nodded.

"Come on kid, we'll find who did this." The two of them headed back down the hill. But Niko stopped halfway.

"Shouldn't we bury them before we leave?" Niko said softly. The chief heard him and turned. Niko remembered Fillip and how he wished he could have had a proper burial, instead of what remained of him just being tossed to sea.

The chief nodded. "Dusan, Dargan, Goran, get up here and help will you?" The chief said as he continued back down the hill, the three other men climbed back up. The four of them dug a shallow grave for all ten of them and rested their bodies inside. Goran scratched the date into the church wall. They then joined the rest of the group.


	7. And Get To Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You'll find out

Dear Niko  
I'm so happy you are okay, and that everyone else in your team is okay also. Except for Milso, get well soon. Your mother is very proud of you and the rest of your squad. You've done a great service to us back home. What else have you been up to? What else have you seen? Been on any more missions? Is there anything you need from us? My life is still boring, just working and taking care of your mother who is in return taking care of me. I want you to come home soon, so we can go to America together. I miss you, cousin.  
\- Roman

Niko sat eating breakfast, reading Roman's letter. They always made him smile. Niko wrote back immediately.

Roman  
Things have been crazy over here cousin. So much has happened. I was attempting to drive a tank a few days ago. We drove in down to Bosnia, where our fathers are from. We visited this village that had been struck my terrorists, the same way our village had been all that time ago. But I won't go into that, I know it's hard to remember. I saw some bad things in that village, Roman. Things I won't talk about here. I am no longer driving the tank anymore. I had practise firing from in and when the bomb went off all I could hear was white noise and all I could see was you and I sitting in that field when we were kids, with the image of Fillip blowing up replaying in my head on repeat and it wouldn't stop. I eventually passed out. No more tanks for me, unfortunately. This guy Darko is driving the tank now. He's a strange guy but aren't we all. Thank you for writing to me cousin. I miss you too. Don't wait for me, go to America as soon as you can. I don't need anything from you. I've attached some cash for you. Happy Birthday, Roman. I didn't forget. Good God, you are getting old, but we all are.  
\- Niko

"Bellic!" Someone called just as Niko was finishing his letter. "I haven't given up on you yet." The chief approached Niko, he sat down across from him at his table. "How is your head, kid?"

"You mean since I hit it in the Tank yesterday?" Niko asked.

"Yes, that is what I meant."

"Then, it's getting there," Niko said rubbing his head.

"Despite that little mishap, you are still my favourite man. You have shown me or strong and determined you are, and I want to offer you something a little easier." Niko raised one eyebrow.

"What might that me, sir?" He asked.

"Ah, follow me." Niko did what the chief asked and the two of them went out into the hills once again. "I noticed the bombs get a negative reaction from you. You don't like bombs?"

"No sir, the front line hasn't been the most pleasent expirience for me."

"I noticed. But, Niko you are still important. I don't want you going mad from hearing nothing but bombs going off on this next mission so you're going to be our eye in the sky while we invade enemy territory." The chief lead Niko to a helicopter which they had flown in from their military base back home. "It's not an attack helicopter, I have other men on those, you will just be keeping watch fro the sky. Make sure nobody gets too close before their signal."

Niko nodded as he inspected the helicopter. "Are you going to show me how to fly this thing?"

"You read my mind." The chief smirked.

~

Dear Niko  
It sounds like war has been hard on you cousin. I can only imagine. Thank you for remembering my birthday. I can't confirm I still remember yours, June sometime? Anyway, I can't believe I'm nineteen. I feel so old. I guess you'll be having your birthday soon sometime also. Thank you for the money. I used it to buy some chicken. Your mother and I ate it last night, while we talked about you. I show her your letters, I hope that doesn't bother you. She's praying for you Niko. I try not to remember that day in the field. But it seems like you are struggling to forget it, especially given your situation. I try to only remember the good times that we shared with your brother. God, I miss him. I miss you too cousin, but I know you are out there fighting the good fight. Bringing terrorists to justice and what have you. I can imagine you driving that tank, I laugh when I think about it, you've never driven anything in your life. Too bad you were so shit at it that they had to give it to someone else. I hope you find something you are better at, cousin.  
\- Roman

As the group sat around the campfire, talking and sipping hot coffee. Nobody could have expected what was going to happen next. the heavy footsteps of the chief echoed through the forest as he charged towards them. The heads of the soldiers turned as he began to shout.

"Everyone in their positions now, the enemy are on their way here. They've found our camp!"

"How the fuck did that happen?" Goran screamed back. "I've never seen a camp so well hidden. w are a hundred miles away from everything!"

"It doesn't matter now. It's the terrorists. They knew we were supposed to invade tomorrow."

"How?" Luka chimed in. "That was private information. Do you think they had spies?"

"Unlikely." He snarled. "Darko, get in the tank, Florian you go with him. Niko it the helicopter everyone else on the ground! MOVE!"

Darko and Florian got in the tank and began to move out with the rest of the group. Niko fled to the hills. "Bellic, you survey the area. Tell me where they are coming from through the radio." Niko nodded ad he climbed into the chopper and took off around enemy base. He attempted to contact the chief via the radio.

"I can see you guys, I can't see them. You're fine." Niko said.

"Thanks, kid. Don't get yourself shot out of the air now."

"Rodger that." Niko laughed through the radio.

He took the chopper out wider, to see if he could see where the enemy was hiding out. He saw nothing.

"I can't see anyone for miles. Is this possibly a false alarm?" Niko asked through the radio

"Possibly, but I need to take this seriously. Fly back to the base camp, will you? They might be waiting for us. Be careful, son."

"Yes, sir," Niko replied. He turned the chopper around and started heading back to the coast. after five minutes, everything began to change. A sling of bombs went off in the distance. Niko's body shook. He started landing the helicopter immediately, feeling the flashbacks lurking in the back of his mind. He grabbed the radio.

"Chief! Did you hear that? Was that near you? Are you okay?" Niko asked the radio.

"WHERE THE FUCK IS THE TANK?" Niko heard one of the soldiers yell from the other side of the radio as The chief began to speak. 

"No, this is bad. Niko hurry-" The radio cut off as another long sling of bombs went off, it continued for minutes. Niko put his hands over his ears and waited for the bombs to stop. When they did, he opened his eyes again. He reached for the radio.

"Chief? Are you there?" No response.

"Come in? Can anyone hear me?" No response.

"Shit," Niko said under his breath as he jumped back in the helicopter and started flying toward the location where the group was last seen. "Fuck this can't be happening." He said to himself ad he flew over the trees. The forest fire below him indicated to Niko that he had arrived at his destination. He landed the helicopter nearby. He grabbed his rifle out of the helicopter, prepared to take out any remaining enemy soldiers.

Niko landed on the dirt, he loaded his gun and began running towards the fire. "this is s a stupid idea." He thoight to himself. He kept his eyes on the ground, he kept running. Only stopping whn his feet met a puddle of blood.


	8. You're On Your Own Now, No One will Save You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niko finds what happened after the bombs went off

Roman  
I'm breathing, so I guess I'm still alive.  
\- Niko

~ earlier that day ~

Niko jumped away when his boot met the blood. his body began to shake. "Shit, shit." He said to himself as his hands shook. He wanted to look up, but he couldn't. He knew what he would see. But he had to manage. He began to feel heavy headed. He sat down where he stood and covered his eyes with his still shaking hands. Struggling to breathe, he attempted to console himself. "It's okay, you're okay," he said to himself. 

Niko found the strength to stand up. He wiped his eyes, and they focused on the crime scene. Twelve bodies, scattered. Blood stained the grass, corpses littered the forest floor. "Oh FUCK!" Niko screamed. His hands went to his mouth. He shrieked into them. he bit down hard of his thumb to try and stop him from screaming. Tears blurred his vision and his legs felt like jelly.

Adrenalin kicked in and Niko furiously wiped the tears from his eyes, he ran towards the bodies. His face felt hot, his felt like it was about to explode. He took short sharp breaths. He leant down at the nearest body, Goran. His face was mangled, but Niko could still tell who it was. He continued. Dimitar, Dragan, Mijo, Luka, Danilo, Petar, Nadeem, Bojan, Dusan, Milos, Pavel.None of them were breathing none of them had survived. The chief's body wasn't with the rest of them. He must have gone to find -- the other two.

Niko finally realised. There were fifteen of them. twelve were dead. Niko was alive, he knew that much. He could feel his heart beating in his chest and he could hear his breaths. So there must be two more. "The tank," he said to himself. Florian and Darko. They're not with the rest of them. But were they alive? There was no way of knowing. 

Niko thought about burying his friends, like he had done to the children on the hill, outside the church. But he couldn't stand to look at them anymore. He thought about getting back in the helicopter and going back to camp. But what would he do then? who would give him direction, what was he supposed to do then? Niko just sat on the stump of a tree, he didn't face the bodies, he turned his back to them. He put his head in his hands and just cried, for hours.

He hadn't cried this hard since he was a newborn. Not when his father died, not when his brother died. Not when his friend's homes were bombed, not when he found his Aunts body in Roman's burning house. Not ever. This was the end of the line. Niko knew things would never be the same, not after this. The crying only stopped when Niko heard footsteps approaching him. He turned around to see who was there.

Two Croation soldiers aimed their rifles at him. "Freeze." One of them commanded. Niko put his hands in the air, surrendering. They just continued to watch him through the barrels of their guns. 

Niko sniffed. "Just shoot me." He sobbed. Niko closed his eyes, waiting for his fate. He saw images from his life enter his head. The good times and the bad. Everything. It just flooded his mind, and for the first time, he felt at peace. The soldiers didn't shoot him. They grabbed him by each arm and dragged him away, towards their truck. They threw his body in the back and drove off. Niko felt nothing now. His head just throbbed as the truck driven off into the countryside.

~

Dear Niko  
What do you mean cousin? Please write back, I'm worried.  
\- Roman

"What's going on?" Niko asked from behind the bars of his cell. his heart hadn't stop racing since he had approached the site of his friend's death. One of the soldiers that had kidnapped him stared into Niko's cell.

"We've taken you." The man said as he puffed on a cigar.

"Why didn't you just kill me, like you killed my friends," Niko growled.

The man tapped the ash off the end of his cigar, it fell to the floor. "That wasn't us, we wouldn't have found you if your 'friend' hadn't sold you out."

The colour drained from Niko's face. "what are you talking about?" He shuddered. 

The man smirked. "We found one of your men. Offered him some money, and in exchange, he'd tell us where you were hiding out. The guy didn't think twice."

Niko's heart fell, it seemed at though it was going to hit the floor. "Where is he now?"

"Fucked off with another guy, escaped in a tank. You're lucky to have lived. But that's fine. we have other uses for you." the guy then turned around and exited the compound. Niko fell to his knees, clutching the bars. He pressed his burning face against the steel. 

"This is it." he thought. 'I'm going to die in here."

~

Roman,  
I'm sorry I couldn't write sooner. I know it's been months. I'm frightened. I'm being held as a POW. I'm in this prison, I was taken by the Croatians. There is nothing I can do from in here. my heart is hurting, cousin. I can't take this. All I do all day is curl up in a ball in the corner and sob. I feel like a failure. the Croatians may try to contact the Serbian government, telling them that they have some of their men. take what they say with a grain of salt. They don't have the power to break me. I'll see you soon.  
\- Niko

Niko folded the paper and slid it in his pocket. He leant up against the cold brick wall of the prison. And the older man looked down at him from where he was sitting on his bed. He cleared his throat and Niko looked up at him. "You alright, kid?" he asked.

Niko sighed slightly. "I don't know," he said as he turned to look out the small window on the wall beside him. "I miss my family."

The man nodded. "I know kid, I know."


	9. You're Rescue Squad Is Too Exhausted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Final Part

~ Two years later, 1998 ~

"Alright Bellic, you're free to go." A Croation soldier unlocked the cell and slid the door open. Niko looked up at the guard.

"Why? Why now, the war is not over." Niko questioned. He wasn't prepared to just walk out, without answers.

The guard sighed. "You were discharged from the army moths ago, you are no longer mentally capable of serving any longer. You're on a suicide watch list. We can't keep you here anymore. it's against the law.

"Since when have you cared about the law? You've killed innocent people, I've seen you. You disgust me." Niko spat.

"I'll say this again, Bellic. You are free to go or do you need to be arrested a second time."

Niko frowned, he stood up and walked towards the guard. "This isn't over." The guard leads Niko out of the camp and threw him into the street. "Where do you expect me to go?" He yelled.

"You'll figure something out." They closed the large metal doors, locking him outside, it the wind and rain. Niko got to his feet. Looking around the streets of south-east Croatia. Niko shivered. He had to find a way back home. A woman with a baby walked down the street. Niko approached them gently.

"Excuse me, ma'am? Do you know where the nearest airport is?" 

The woman looked up at Niko. She cleared her throat. "You can take a bus into the city. There is an airport downtown."

Niko smiled. "Thank you." The woman smiled back and continued walking. Niko walked through the town, looking for a bus stop. When he found one, the bus was luckily already there. He ran to catch it before it left. When Niko boarded the bus, the driver was afraid to see him carrying his Serbian Army uniform. He quietly put it away.

"I need to get as close to the airport as possible." The driver noded, Niko handed him some Croation money and sat down.

~

Dear Roman  
Cousin, I'm sorry it's been so long. I wasn't allowed to send letters from the camp. But they let me go yesterday. I'm coming home cousin. I'll be there soon. I'm writing this from an aeroplane. I've never been one one before, it's frightening. I can't believe how high we are off the ground. I'm landing soon. Nothing happened much in the camp. I worked a lot, posed for propaganda photos. It was some of the most boring and mentally draining years of my life. But at least, it wasn't war, the war was the hardest. It was only a few months but it felt like a lifetime. I hope you are safe and well.  
\- Niko

Niko's plane landed in the early morning. It was dark when he caught the midnight train into the city. He watched the lights in towns shine. The countryside remained dark. A woman smiled and Niko and thanked him when she noticed his uniform. He smiled back. Niko thought he should be happy coming home. But he felt so sombre. The war had changed him. going in he knew it would be hard but he wasn't ready for his life to fall apart in a matter of seconds.

The way the woman had smiled at him, told him he should be proud. But he wasn't, he hadn't saved the world. He wasn't a hero, he was a bystander. The twelve men who had died that night, they were heroes and they weren't here to be congratulated on their bravery. Niko's blood boiled. The time of being sad was over, and the only thing he could feel was rage.

For the last two years, the thought that either Florian or Darko had killed his friends for money had kept him up at night. These days, he didn't sleep at all. His brain couldn't turn off, he was thinking all the time. And the thought that he may never kind out who had done what they did pained him.

 

The train stopped at the station. Niko exited and began walking the rest of the way home. His village at night brought back all kinds of memories. The good and the bad, but mostly the bad. He could see the burnt homes of his friends. The lake that served as Fillip's final resting place. the basketball courts where he and Roman had met the English girls. The field where Niko had seen Fillip for the last time. The old bar that he and Roman had shared that bottle of Vodka before he left for war, the bar that was now a pile of ash. Everything remained.

Niko passed his Aunt's old home, he passed his old home too. Both were falling apart. Niko could see the shitty apartment block at the end of the road. The last place he'd seen his mother, and his cousin. Hope sparked in him as he saw the lights shining from inside. Niko began to jog towards the building. But it remained far away. He eventually began to run.

He ran down the street, towards the building, he pushed through the front door and ran up all seven flights of stairs to get to the floor of his family's apartment. His heart was beating in his chest, his whole journey across Europe had lead up to this moment. He knocked hard and fast on the apartment door. he began to try to catch his breath as he waited for someone to answer the door.

Niko's mother opened the door. Pride filled her eyes when she saw him standing there. Niko held her closely, she was so happy she began to cry. Niko had cried a lifetime of tears on the camp, so he had nothing left for her. But he was still happy. It felt like it had been forever since he felt even slightly happy. As much as the pain of war still lingered, at least he had this one moment of bliss.

Niko's mother ushered him into the living room, where she began to make him tea. He sat down on the couch and breathed deeply. "You don't know how happy I am!" His mother cried, tears of joy still staining her cheeks. "I missed you so much."

"Not as much as I missed you," Niko said. His mother smiled, she brought over two cups of tea.

"You need to tell me everything." She said as she handed him his tea.

Niko laughed slightly. 'I can't I'm afraid. There is nothing wort sharing." He sipped his tea, he tried his best to put on a brave face for his mother. He didn't want her to see that he was dying inside. "Where is Roman?" he asked.

Niko's mother put her tea down on the coffee table. "He didn't tell you?" She said.

Niko shook his head, frowning slightly. "Tell me what?"

"He's in America."


End file.
